306 MEMOIRS OF 



acquirements, her modest opinion of herself, her 

 sound judgment, her active cliarity, lier extreme 

 piety, seemed to mark her as a being who could 

 not long remain in this world of sin : she died 

 of rapid consumption, which disease, though 

 probably, long engendered in her constitution, 

 which had already given one or two alarms, 

 and probably made hidden progress, only mani- 

 fested itself in its decided form six weeks before 

 her death, amid the joyful preparations for her 

 marriage. From this moment a mournful change 

 took place in every arrangement ; the broken- 

 hearted mother was long, very long, unable to 

 receive company, never again to mingle in it 

 abroad ; and the unceasing and heroic efforts of 

 her surviving daughter, and tlie affectionate 

 cares of her husband, fluled to rouse hei'. At 

 length, occasional society at his own house be- 

 came absolutely necessary to M. Cuvier, and the 

 irood wife consented to that which the o-ood 

 mother had refused ; the saloon remained closed 

 in which she had seen the perfection of mortal 

 loveliness breathe her last, and one of the libra- 

 ries was opened to company. A few old friends 

 alone took immediate advantage of the per- 

 mission to resume their visits ; these, in time, 

 brought others j but the change had come ; and 



